Artists Press for Their Share

Many Musicians Say Record Companies Often Pocket Royalty Overpayments

As revenue from music-streaming grows, musicians are starting to shift their focus from their initial gripe (about how it pays a fraction of a cent per stream) to a tougher question: how their own record companies and publishers should be divvying up payments.

Record labels pay artists a fairly standard royalty rate on digital downloads and CD sales—generally between 10% and 20%, depending on the artist's star power. But when it comes to streaming through Spotify AB and other services, there is little agreement on how...